Perlozzo is probably the worst manager I've ever seen. The orioles really need some young firebrand type to come in and start cracking heads. But I doubt anything will happen.

if offered, is there any chance Girardi would accept this job?

Worse than Mazzilli?

Worse than Mazzilli?

It's a tough call, but I'm now prepared to give the title to Perlozzo. I just can't believe how many unbelievably boneheaded tactical decisions he's made. And it's not like he makes up for it in other ways. The team is terrible fundamentally, he doesn't really defend the team to the umpires or the media, and he doesn't appear to be a good motivator.

Didn't Mazzone take the pitching coach gig because of Perlozzo? Would the O's risk losing both if they fired the one?

Didn't Mazzone take the pitching coach gig because of Perlozzo? Would the O's risk losing both if they fired the one?

that's the generally accepted theory. I think most O's fans are beginning to think it'd be worth it.

wow...that's a lot of criticizm for a team that's only half a game behind the yankees...
oh wait, never mind =)

You've got Perlozzo, Mazzilli, Phil Regan and Ray Miller on the one hand, and Davey Johnson and Earl Weaver on the other.

Have the Orioles ever had just an average, run-of-the-mill manager?

Johnny Oates? (although he was probably above average)

Altobelli means "competent placeholder skipper" in Italian.

Have the Orioles ever had just an average, run-of-the-mill manager?

Mike Hargrove.

Have the Orioles ever had just an average, run-of-the-mill manager?

Frank Robinson? Mike Hargrove?

It's kind of a trick question, as most managers seem to be either loved or hated.

MASN ran 'classic O's' presentations of the 1982 world series in March. As fun as it was to watch, listening was just as entertaining because Earl was in the booth with Al Michaels and Cosell. He was very vocal and gave some interesting insight on O's players and history. He also predicted a great career for Joe Altobelli.

Didn't Mazzone take the pitching coach gig because of Perlozzo? Would the O's risk losing both if they fired the one?Didn't Mazzone take the pitching coach gig because of Perlozzo? Would the O's risk losing both if they fired the one?

I say fire him! Anything to bring Leo home.

Altobelli means "competent placeholder skipper" in Italian.


In the late 80s, Altobelli was the guy my dad always advocated for the Royals managerial job saying the guy was a winner and he didn't understand why the guy wasn't interviewed for openings.

Then that guy became Cito Gaston. Now its Larry Dierker.

What's he done in addition to taking out a pitcher with fewer than 100 pitches with one out in the ninth with a five run lead just because the catcher dropped a popup?

If Oriole fans are looking for a new manager, John Gibbons might become available soon.

Perlozzo is probably the worst manager I've ever seen.

How long have you been following the Os? The Orioles have had two much worse managers in recent memory. Phil Regan was really bad, but that was just a one-year thing, so it's hard to know exactly how high to rank him. But the worst manager ever has to be Ray Miller, who had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

He couldn't make roster-level decisions. He couldn't make in-game decisions. And he made up for these flaws by utilitizing the tried-and-true managerial style of badmouthing players to the media -- with regular references to how much money they were making -- in order to deflect blame from himself.

How long have you been following the Os? The Orioles have had two much worse managers in recent memory. Phil Regan was really bad, but that was just a one-year thing, so it's hard to know exactly how high to rank him. But the worst manager ever has to be Ray Miller, who had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

He couldn't make roster-level decisions. He couldn't make in-game decisions. And he made up for these flaws by utilitizing the tried-and-true managerial style of badmouthing players to the media -- with regular references to how much money they were making -- in order to deflect blame from himself.

Sorry, I don't agree. Mind you, I'm not defending Miller (or Regan, or Mazzilli), but Perlozzo is just insanely bad. I don't remember nearly as many oh-my-god-I'm-going-to-put-my-foot-through-the TV-managerial-decisions with those other guys.

What's he done in addition to taking out a pitcher with fewer than 100 pitches with one out in the ninth with a five run lead just because the catcher dropped a popup?

You have to watch him every day to see how bad he is at handling a bullpen. He simply has no clue what to do with a 7-man bullpen (the Orioles actually briefly started the year with an 8-man pen, until Ramon Hernandez got hurt). He feels the need to use them in situations when the game doesn't dictate it, because if he waited for the right situations, he wouldn't get them enough work. And then when the game does dictate it, he doesn't know what to do because he's been using them at the wrong times. Seven is simply too many for him to mentally handle. And they're all being overworked (not in relation to how well they've pitched); I'm going to guess half of them will be injured by August.

It's funny, because in a narrow sense he's right: even if taking out Guthrie was the wrong move, when you have a 5-run lead with one out in the ninth, you should be able to win the game even if you put Jose Canseco in as pitcher. So blaming him for Sunday's loss itself is misplaced. But it's emblematic. There was no rationale behind the decisions made.

As for the rest of his managing, Fluquette didn't give him much to work with, offensivewise. (And, exactly as I said before the year, 4 mediocre left fielders is not "depth.") But already players are unhappy with the way they're being used. And his weird Chris Gomez fetish doesn't help.

I don't even mind Gomez. He's a fine utility infielder. But having Bynum on the team is inexcusable. I guess I could sort of understand if Bynum got a lot of playing time (although that would obviously be stupid), but Bynum is just sitting there! Why keep him around and waste the roster spot if you're NEVER going to actually use him?

Dusty Baker is available.

Perlozzo is not insanely bad. He's mediocre overall, and terrible at handling a bullpen. Miller was insanely bad. Any bad decision you can name of Perlozzo's, I'll name two similarly stupid (but worse) decisions of Miller's.

And as I mentioned, Miller couldn't handle the media at all. Perlozzo at least says the right things (see the article above for an example). Perlozzo says "I'd rather have them blame me than the players" and "I'm not concerned about job security." Miller said things like, "Go ask the players. They're the ones being paid all that money."

Miller adamantly and overtly refused to play young players on the grounds that older veterans "deserved" to play (even in September, after stinking it up all year).

Gomez is an okay utility infielder; I don't mind him for that role. But almost half of his appearances this year (9 of 21) have been in a starting role, including six starts at first base already, <u>on a team that has Kevin Millar, Jay Gibbons, and Aubrey Huff</u> on the roster. (Okay, you're beginning to talk me into Perlozzo being "insanely bad.")

As for Bynum, I don't get why the team wants him either, or what his role is supposed to be. (Despite Perlozzo doesn't think he's a utility infielder; he hasn't played a single inning in the infield this year.) He seems to be the team's fifth outfielder, primary pinch hitter, and pinch runner. Why anybody would pick Freddy Bynum for this role is beyond me. (Though if that were his role, I wouldn't "actually use him," either.)

Gomez is an okay utility infielder; I don't mind him for that role. But almost half of his appearances this year (9 of 21) have been in a starting role, including six starts at first base already, on a team that has Kevin Millar, Jay Gibbons, and Aubrey Huff on the roster. (Okay, you're beginning to talk me into Perlozzo being "insanely bad.")

Right -- my point is that I don't mind having him on the team. He's a useful player. But there's no way he should start any games at 1b.

I agree that Miller was worse. I love him as a pitching coach; it's a shame he was miscast during '98-'99, but the FO debilitated those teams so badly that I guess it didn't really matter.

But the worst manager ever has to be Ray Miller, who had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Oh yes, definitely agree that Miller is worse than Perlozzo. With Miller, the players practically staged a coup d'etat before the season ended during his first season. He would say stuff like, "I have a bunch of pitchers who are too chicken sh*t to throw strikes," to the media. It was just ugly.

six starts at first base already, on a team that has Kevin Millar, Jay Gibbons, and Aubrey Huff

I don't mind Gomez at all. For a utility infielder, he's acceptable and Millar/Gibbons haven't been particularly good this season. Plus, his grand slam against the Royals when the Orioles were way down and came back to win makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. As far as Bynum goes, he pretty much has no purpose on this team. In a pinch hitting situation, the AB goes to Gomez. He's basically a pinch runner and emergency infielder/OF. Thankfully him and Fahey probably won't see any significant playing time this year.

Nah. The worst was Maury Wills. And there's nobody else even close.

Why?...Did he have the theme to "The Black Godfather" on his cell?

Angelos probably saw The Naked Gun and thought he was hiring that Enrico Perlozzo who saved the queen.

Nah. The worst was Maury Wills.

IIRC, Neyer agrees with you...

Oh yes, definitely agree that Miller is worse than Perlozzo. With Miller, the players practically staged a coup d'etat before the season ended during his first season. He would say stuff like, "I have a bunch of pitchers who are too chicken sh*t to throw strikes," to the media. It was just ugly.

"I had nothing to do with the loss. Go ask the overpaid millionaires. They're the ones being paid all the money and playing like crap in front of 47,000 fans." -- Ray Miller, April 1999